1940: Osteopathy

The osteopathic profession in 1940 went forward with general and specific efforts directed to the public welfare. Local and state organizations cooperated with their respective public health boards, commissions, and officers. The American Osteopathic Association continued its cooperation with the United States Public Health Service, and its connection with the Council on Mothers and Babies, advisory to the Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor. The Association was represented as usual at the meetings of the Federation of State Medical Boards, and had delegates in the section on Public Health and Medicine at the Eighth Pan-American Scientific Congress, and at the annual meeting of the American Council on Education. Its representatives were in contact with the officers of the American Association for Social Security.

There were more osteopathic physicians in 1940 than at any previous date in history, the total reaching 10,340, and more of them affiliated with their professional organizations, which became this year more close-knit than ever before.

The last remaining osteopathic colleges which had formerly required only one year of preprofessional college work went on a two-year preprofessional basis. Additional opportunities for postgraduate work were provided and the number of hospitals accredited for the training of interns was increased.

The 'divisional' societies (state, territorial and provincial) already mentioned in connection with their respective public health departments, to an increasing degree are providing refresher courses for their members, are setting up their state convention programs in the form of review courses, are arranging circuit programs for the district societies, so that for certain days in each month their meetings are held in rotation, with outstanding speakers giving review work at each, and in more and more cases are securing amendments to state laws requiring that in order to be eligible for the annual renewal of his license, a doctor must have had postgraduate work during the year.

A number of divisional societies very recently have regularly employed executive secretaries to keep these and other professional activities in order. Four states in 1940 adopted the House of Delegates form of professional government, increasing to eight the total which conduct their business affairs in this way in place of the old 'mass meeting' style.

The National Year Book for 1940 reported setting up of a Committee on Research, and the selection of its director. This director has proceeded with his efforts to correlate the various research enterprises in the different osteopathic colleges and other institutions, and also to direct individual research and the collection of significant statistics from osteopathic physicians in private practice.

The Advisory Committee on Osteopathic Specialists proceeded with its efforts to assure the public and the profession of adequate and well-trained specialists. The various specialty societies are setting up accrediting committees to examine applicants and, in cooperation with the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association, to issue certificates of proficiency.